title: Effect of non-surgical periodontal therapy on the levels of Th17/Th1/Th2 cytokines and their transcription factors in Chinese chronic periodontitis patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  A new subset of CD4(+) T cells, Th17, has been recently discovered independent from Th1/Th2 paradigm. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of non-surgical periodontal therapy on the expression of Th17/Th1/Th2 cytokines and transcription factors, and Th17 cell vibration in Chinese chronic periodontitis patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  The levels of Th17/Th1/Th2 cytokines (IL-17, IL-21/IFN-γ/IL-4) in gingival crevicular fluid from 30 chronic periodontitis patients before and after treatment were determined by ELISA. The expression of transcription factors (RORC, T-bet and GATA-3) in peripheral blood was measured by real-time PCR, and the levels of Th17 cells in CD4(+) T cells were determined by flow cytometry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After treatment, the levels of IL-17 and IL-21 were down-regulated (P<0.05), and IL-4 was increased (P<0.05), but there were no differences in the level of IFN-γ (P>0.05). Correspondingly, the expression of RORC was decreased 1.99-fold (P<0.05), and GATA-3 was increased 1.76-fold (P<0.05). However, there were no differences in the level of T-bet (P>0.05). Moreover, the quantity of Th17 cells in peripheral blood was decreased (P<0.05), especially IL-17(+) IFN-γ(+) subgroup.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest that Th17 cells play a destructive role in the immune balance of periodontitis, and the effect of Th1 cells is not significant, while Th2 cells have a protective effect.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Stomatology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
authors.forename: Lu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Lu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Wu
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002681:China; D055113:Chronic Periodontitis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000628:therapy*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D012534:Dental Scaling; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D050990:GATA3 Transcription Factor / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000097:blood; D005883:Gingival Crevicular Fluid / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis; D020381:Interleukin-17 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007378:Interleukins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D057132:Nuclear Receptor Subfamily 1, Group F, Member 3 / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000097:blood; D020825:T-Box Domain Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000097:blood; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / Q000378:metabolism*; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D058504:Th17 Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000097:blood; D000098815:T-bet Transcription Factor; D000098546:Interleukin-21
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D050990:GATA3 Transcription Factor; D020381:Interleukin-17; D007378:Interleukins; D057132:Nuclear Receptor Subfamily 1, Group F, Member 3; C539900:RORC protein, human; D020825:T-Box Domain Proteins; D000098815:T-bet Transcription Factor; D014157:Transcription Factors; D015847:Interleukin-4; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D000098546:Interleukin-21